Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 610: Containment

The capitalists conceded, bringing a successful resolution to the Dekker Textile Factory strike.

This outcome was inevitable. Workers in these times didn’t ask for much and the strike was simply about being able to make a living. With the capitalists willing to compromise, the strike naturally came to an end.

However, the impact was just beginning. The victory of the Dekker Textile Factory workers undoubtedly inspired workers in other regions, strengthening their determination to fight for better pay and benefits.

This was no longer just Austria’s issue. Within a month, the strike wave had spread across the European continent, affecting every industrialized nation.

Facing an escalating labor movement, Franz began considering countermeasures. Finding an effective system to protect both workers’ and employers’ interests had become the most pressing issue for the Austrian government.

With so many interests at stake, Franz knew he had to be cautious when drafting policies.

Labor Minister Maggiore hurried over, saying, “Your Majesty, something has happened. Even the police in Venice are on strike.”

“Police on strike?” Franz couldn’t believe his ears. Worker strikes were common, but it was the first time that government employees had joined.

Barely containing his anger, Franz asked, “What are their reasons for striking?”

Deep down, he had already decided to take action against the bureaucrats in Venice. If they couldn’t even manage their own, they were truly a useless bunch.

Labor Minister Maggiore replied, “They say the workload is too high. They haven’t had a single day off for a month. They’ve also demanded a pay raise.”

Since the strike movement began, police officers everywhere have faced increased pressure, with frequent overtime, and Venice was no exception.

Franz was still furious. “High workload, no days off”—these were temporary issues, and it wasn’t as if they weren’t being paid overtime. Companies might sometimes withhold pay, but no one in the government would dare to shortchange anyone.

As for complaints about compensation, that was entirely unreasonable. Austrian public servants were well-paid, and police officers were generally above the average income level. In major cities like Venice, their compensation was even higher.

Franz slammed his hand on the table and said, “If they want to go on a strike, they don’t need to come back. Deploy the military to maintain order, and immediately dismiss all public employees involved in this strike.

No government agencies or state-owned enterprises are allowed to rehire these dismissed individuals.

Circulate a notice nationwide to make an example of this incident. Inform all public employees to remember their responsibilities.

If they find the job too hard, they should vacate their positions for capable individuals. Disrupting and threatening the government at such a critical time is the kind of behavior that will not be tolerated.”

He had to take decisive action. The lessons from the February Revolution in France were still fresh in his mind. If not for the police’s dereliction of duty, the Orléans monarchy might still be standing.

The strike by Venice’s police force was a clear warning. If he didn’t suppress this trend early, Vienna’s police could go on strike tomorrow.

This could even spread to other government departments. Such examples weren’t rare in history. For instance:

Liberian healthcare workers went on strike during the Ebola outbreak.

Ukrainian troops went on strike during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In Bolivia, police, dissatisfied with their pay, occupied the National Riot Police headquarters, disguised themselves as civilians, covered their faces, attacked the National Intelligence Agency headquarters, broke windows, and took furniture, files, and computers before setting fires.

Brazil had similar instances with the police and military...

These disruptive actions made it necessary for Franz to stay vigilant. As government employees, they needed to have a sense of the bigger picture. Issues could be raised, but letting things fall apart at a critical moment and threatening the government? Unacceptable.

As for salary and benefits, as long as they weren’t below the average income and came with adequate benefits, public servants were effectively among the high-income group. After all, the majority were at or below the average.

Labor Minister Maggiore replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

There was no reason to oppose it as setting an example was necessary. The Venice police strike came at the worst possible time, right into the line of fire, becoming the prime example. ?

Thanks to mandatory education, Austria never had a shortage of public servants. Recruiting new hires and reallocating some core staff from other regions would quickly restore the local police system.

After a sigh, Franz asked, “Maggiore, how far has the strike wave spread? How many people are involved domestically, and how many cases have been resolved?”

Labor Minister Maggiore answered, “Your Majesty, the strike wave has spread across the entire European continent. The situation is most critical in France, where, if the French government doesn’t handle it well, a revolution might break out.

Domestically, the situation has somewhat improved. As of now, 1,876 companies nationwide have gone on strike, with over three million workers participating.

Through negotiations, only about a third have resumed production. The rest are still in talks. The government has reinforced police presence to maintain order, and the situation is stable for now, with no large-scale unrest.

However, many negotiations between companies and workers are at a standstill due to significant differences in demands, making it difficult to reach compromises in the short term.”

These numbers allowed Franz to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, a reduction in the number of strikers was a good start.

From the data, it seemed that quite a few capitalists had heeded the government’s warning and taken steps to appease workers early on. Otherwise, the strike wave wouldn’t have been contained.

Whether it was through raising wages, adding benefits, or merely offering empty promises, that was no longer Franz’s concern.

“Well, continue to counsel both sides, but don’t get directly involved. The government’s role is just to mediate. If they can’t reach an agreement, don’t force it, or we’ll end up being blamed by both parties.”

This reflected Franz’s genuine outlook: forcing a compromise without a mutual understanding would only lead to more problems later. Letting both sides go their separate ways in advance would be better.

Workers could choose to leave, and employers could opt to lay off workers, as long as they followed the provisions of the Labor Protection Act.

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The large-scale immigration plan was already underway, so even if a wave of unemployment erupted, it could be quickly absorbed. With the changing dynamics of labor supply and demand, wages would naturally rise.

Allowing the market to adjust wages was far preferable to government interference.

The differences among individuals were significant. Even among workers, productivity levels varied. Some had better skills, while others lagged behind. Imposing uniform treatment without regard to productivity would create a far bigger problem.

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As the birthplace of revolution, Paris has always been at the heart of every European labor movement. This time was no different. Although this strike wave started in Milan, the enthusiasm of the Parisian workers could not be contained.

Unlike Austrian workers who would strike and be done with it, Parisian workers were already marching with banners on the streets, staging demonstrations that brought the city’s transportation to a standstill.

At the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV was feeling exasperated. If workers wanted a raise, they should take it up with their employers, not protest outside the palace!

Finance Minister Alain advised, “Your Majesty, this strike is unlike any other. Since the Dekker Textile Factory strike, all of Europe has been thrown into chaos. The demonstrators are appearing in front of the palace, likely due to someone’s deliberate instigation. We must stay vigilant to prevent a repeat of the February Revolution.”

The French government appeared stable, but the revolutionary zeal of Parisians was another matter. With the outbreak of the strike wave, any instigator could easily stir up unrest.

Napoleon III may have gone, but his adversaries remained. The Legitimists, the Orléanists, and the Republicans were all enemies of Napoleon IV.

These adversaries weren’t just external as the French government itself had many internal opponents. The checks and balances Napoleon III designed had a hidden purpose: to reveal enemies in waiting.

Enemies in the shadows are far more dangerous than those in plain sight. The Orléans monarchy was a textbook example of this. Without internal collaboration, the February Revolution would not have succeeded so easily.

After a moment’s hesitation, Napoleon IV clenched his teeth and ordered, “Deploy the Fifth Division into the city. Place Paris under full lockdown, and ban all demonstrations. At the same time, send invitations to worker and employer representatives for negotiations. We must resolve this crisis as quickly as possible.”

Keeping his position secure was Napoleon IV’s top priority. Any negative consequences were secondary.

Minister of Police Sansouci quickly advised, “Your Majesty, please reconsider. The situation hasn’t escalated that far yet. Deploying the military in the city could very well intensify the conflict and push the situation further out of control.”

Paris is unlike other cities—demonstrations and protests are almost a way of life here, a necessary part of daily life.

While it hadn’t yet reached the point where people protested out of boredom or whim, participating in a protest every week or two was practically a routine, even considered beneficial for mental well-being.

Restricting people’s right to demonstrate would likely cause significant discontent. If anyone were to exploit this, the consequences could be unpredictable.

Napoleon IV shook his head, “As long as we control the army carefully, we hold the situation in our hands. These agitators aren’t capable of causing real trouble. The immediate priority is to end the strike wave as many cities are already paralyzed, and the ongoing losses are severe.”

Since Napoleon III’s passing, Napoleon IV had felt insecure, even doubling the palace guard to feel safe. He had come to see the army as his only source of security.

Whether this reliance on the military was ultimately good or bad remained to be seen, but it had undeniably strengthened his ties with the armed forces.